We Remember: The Journey of Kashmiri Pandits, a play by volunteers of KPCS

This year in 2019, the Kashmiri Pandits are in 30th Year of exile, with justice far from being delivered. An entire generation has lived far away from where ‘Home’ could be and disconnected from their roots. The agony of their parents remains aloof as such a painful episode has been chosen by families to be best forgotten. Nobody talks about it! The world as it is has forgotten the pain, the trauma, the suffering that the Kashmiri Pandits have undergone. The episode of 1990 is still fresh in the memory of every single person who lived the horrors as a child, as a teenager or as an adult.

The programme We Remember is essentially a journey, a project that KPCS has undertaken to connect children and young people to their roots. In doing so, document the stories of each family whether by first person accounts or by visual documentation of timeline of ad-dresses lived at by children for their families.

The team of volunteers who performed in the play, We Remember: The Journey of Kashmiri Pandits in London

In India a landmark announcement of Article 370 abrogation and bi-furcation of J&K state into two Union Territories, namely, Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh has resulted in much debate and discussion. Welcomed wholeheartedly by majority, especially Kashmiri Pandits, the actual justice delivery and the dream of a safe return & rehabilita-tion of Kashmiri Pandits remains a distant reality.

Princess Kota at Sharadapeeth
at her graduation exam
in 14th Century, Kashmir

We therefore, Remember, never to forget. We Remember, so we may return and live in Kashmir via our progeny.
The play conceptualised and written by Lakshmi Kaul, has been directed by Aarushi Thakur Rana. The performers are all Kashmiri Pan-dit children and their parents, each of them amateurs who connect to the journey in their personal lives. Each of them have a story to share, their own family’s story of resilience and survival.

Kota and her daughter Nainika
in the year 2019, London

The central character, Kota, has been inspired by the story of the Last Queen of Kashmir, Kota Rani, as told by Rakesh Kaul, a USA based writer who introduced Kota to the world via his lucid description of the 14th century ruler of Kashmir.

Kota as a bride-to-be
in the year 1990, Kashmir

The play is set in three time periods: 2019 where you meet Kota as a Mother; in 1990 where you meet Kota, the bride; and 14th Century where you meet Kota the Princess, who is at her Graduation Ceremony at Sharada Peeth University.

The play is presented to you in a way to not only tell the story of the journey, but also showcase the life, heritage, history and contribution of Kashmiri Pandits to the world.

'Traumatised Kota had to leave her home at the behest of Jehadi slogans'
Scene from: We Remember, a KPCS theatre production

At her Graduation exam, Kota faced sharp questions from Jyotish Pandit, the foremost astrologer; Koka Pandit, dedicated to life sciences and and Devaswami, the head of the Sharadapeeth University and Chief Tantri of the Associated temple. 

                                        Scene from: We Remember, a KPCS theatre production